Questioning Women’s Prevalence in Takarazuka Theatre:The Interplay of Light and Shadow

This article offers an insight of a little‑known aspect of Takarazuka Revue’s history, which counters the official discourse of the eponymous theatre company, promoting the all-female nature of their troupes. By analyzing the accidental origins of male roles (otokoyaku) being embodied by young girls...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies no. 5
Main Author Michel‑Lesne, Claude
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published INALCO 16.07.2019
Subjects
Takarazuka Shingeiza
male actors
mixité
diversity
histoire théâtrale
revue Takarazuka
Takarazuka Kokuminza
theatre history
tradition
stage arts
acteurs
Takarazuka Revue
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Summary:This article offers an insight of a little‑known aspect of Takarazuka Revue’s history, which counters the official discourse of the eponymous theatre company, promoting the all-female nature of their troupes. By analyzing the accidental origins of male roles (otokoyaku) being embodied by young girls, as well as troupe’s founder Kobayashi Ichizō’s statements in favor of a mixed cast and various attempts of achieving this goal (ephemeral integration of male actors, creation of the Takarazuka-affiliated troupes of Kokuminza and Shingeiza), we will determine precisely how and why casts became exclusively all‑female after World War II, with a special focus on the 1946‑1954 male section (danshibu). The study of the company’s schizophrenic relationship to their history ultimately reveals their misappropriation of the concept of “tradition” in order to showcase their singularity and keep their hegemonic position in the world of all‑female theatre. We hereby call into question the integrity and legitimacy of current discourses about Takarazuka—discourses widely spread by Japanese media.
ISSN:2268-1744
2268-1744
DOI:10.4000/cjs.1330